Why have I received a PCN (penalty charge notice) for a parking contravention?

You received the PCN as you were the driver or the person appearing to be in charge of a vehicle that was observed committing an alleged parking contravention in Westminster. You can see details and photographs relating to your PCN online.

I displayed a Blue Badge but I still received a PCN, why is this?

The full concessions given by the national Blue Badge Scheme do not apply when parking in the City of Westminster. Along with 3 other boroughs in Central London (City of London, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and London Borough of Camden, south of Euston Road), we are exempted from the scheme by legislation because of exceptional pressure on parking and road space. For more information, please refer to the Blue Badge Scheme leaflet produced by the Department for Transport.

How can I challenge my PCN (make a representation)?

The easiest way to make a representation is online. You can also send an email to parkingappeals@westminster.gov.uk or write to City of Westminster Parking Services, PO Box 733, Redhill, RH1 9FN. Remember to include your PCN reference number, your name, address and any evidence you may have in support of your challenge.

Where can I see photos or video footage relating to my PCN?

I’ve made a representation, when will I find out if it has been accepted or rejected?

We aim to respond to all PCN representations within 10 working days. Please avoid contacting us for an update about your challenge during this time, as this may cause further delay. Please also allow extra time for your challenge to reach us if you have sent it in by post.

I’m getting an error message when trying to challenge online, what should I do?

Please check to ensure all mandatory fields have been completed. Also check the file formats and size of any evidence you are uploading. If you are submitting evidence, we can accept JPG, BMP, PDF, TIF, GIF and PNG formats and each individual document uploaded needs to be less than 5MB.

I can’t upload evidence in support of my challenge via the website, what should I do?

Please check the file format and size. We can accept JPG, BMP, PDF, TIF, GIF and PNG files and each individual file uploaded needs to be less than 5MB.

Alternatively, you have the option to email your challenge to parkingappeals@westminster.gov.uk, the maximum file upload size being 8MB, or a written challenge can be submitted by post to City of Westminster Parking Services, PO Box 733, Redhill, RH1 9FN. Please remember to include any supporting evidence.

I’ve received a Notice to Owner (NtO) in the post, but I never got a PCN on my vehicle, what should I do?

You can find details and photos relating to the PCN online. The PCN would have been fixed to the vehicle or handed to the driver or person appearing to be in charge of the vehicle. However, the Council is aware that PCNs are occasionally removed from vehicles by third parties. If you believe that may have happened, you can make a request to pay the 50% discounted amount by phone, please call 020 7823 4567.

How long do I have to pay my PCN at the 50% discounted rate?

The 50% discounted payment rate applies for 14 days from the date of service of the PCN. This applies to PCNs issued on-street for parking contraventions, postal ‘Vehicle Driven Away’ (VDA) PCNs and postal PCNs issued for moving traffic contraventions.

If you have received a letter rejecting a challenge but giving a further opportunity to pay at the 50% discounted rate, the payment should be made within the time frame specified.

If my challenge is rejected will I still be able to pay at the discounted rate?

Yes, if your challenge is for an on-street issued PCN and the Notice to Owner (NtO) has not yet been issued.

Yes, if you your challenge is for a moving traffic PCN or a postal parking PCN and in either instance a Charge Certificate has not yet been issued.

No, if an NtO has already been issued, although you may still be offered the chance to pay the PCN at the discounted rate depending upon your circumstances, at the Council’s discretion. For example, if you did not receive the original PCN, or circumstances prevented you from challenging at an earlier stage.

I wasn’t the driver when the PCN was incurred, am I responsible for paying it?

If the driver does not pay the PCN, then ultimately the registered keeper of the vehicle will become liable for the charge. The registered keeper can only transfer the liability for a PCN if the vehicle was on hire/lease when the contravention occurred or was disposed of or sold prior to, or purchased after the contravention.

I’ve received a Notice to Owner (NtO) or postal PCN for a vehicle I no longer own, what should I do?

If you sold or disposed of the vehicle before the contravention occurred you should submit a representation (see ‘How can I challenge my PCN (make a representation)?’) and provide the new keeper’s name, address and the date of sale or transfer. Please provide copies of any relevant evidence, for example a sales invoice, new keeper supplement (V5c) or letter from the DVLA.

I’ve received a Notice to Owner (NtO) or postal PCN for a vehicle I purchased after the date of the PCN, what should I do?

If you purchased the vehicle after the contravention occurred you should submit a representation (see ‘How can I challenge my PCN (make a representation)?’) and provide the previous keeper’s name, address and the date of sale or transfer. Please provide copies of any relevant evidence, for example a sales receipt, new keeper supplement (V5c) or letter from the DVLA.

I’ve received a Notice to Owner (NtO) or postal PCN for a vehicle I’ve never owned, what should I do?

If it appears that your vehicle registration mark (VRM) has been incorrectly recorded on the PCN, please call 0207 823 4567 and one of our advisors will be able to assist you.

If it appears that your VRM has been cloned, we recommend that you report this asap to the police and the DVLA. Once you have obtained a crime reference number from the police you should make a representation and include this along with any additional evidence you have. This will also help you if you receive similar Notices from us and/or other enforcement agencies.

You can pay for a PCN online, by phone, by cheque or in person at a Westminster Post Office. Full details regarding payment methods and information about how to make an online payment by credit or debit card are available online.